Nature finds a way
It takes two to tango is a popular term often used to describe the basic requirements for procreation, one cannot exist without the other. The mutated marbled crayfish however, a new all-female species, is currently expanding at an expeditious rate having found a way to independently reproduce creating hundreds of eggs at a time.
"If you have one animal, essentially, three months later, you will have 200 or 300," Dr Wolfgang Stein of Nature, Ecology and Evolution, told Canadian public broadcaster CBC. The invasive species has already been observed in Japan, Madagascar, Sweden and the US to name a few.
Despite the risks the creature poses to ecosystems across the globe, the crayfish’s unusual ability to self-clone has made it popular with aquarium hobbyists. There isn’t yet a wild population of marbled crayfish in Canada, but the crustaceans can be bought in some pet shops and through online adverts. The department of fisheries and oceans was quick to point out it would be illegal to release any unwanted crayfish into the wild.
Some positives have been linked to the crayfish, as scientists claim it may help better understand how cancer spreads through the human body. It’s ability to reproduce quickly was also seen as a good cheap source of protein for the developing world. Madagascar introduced the crustacean to the wild but found its population rapidly exploded creating an ecological nightmare for authorities. Keen to ensure the same fate will not befall Europe, the species has been banned from entering the continent under any circumstances.
For now, it would seem there is little that can be done to stem the population growth, time will tell what long-term impact this new species could have.
